By Jones of Dallas H.R. No. 51 74R2831 SAJ-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is proud to honor 1-2 Officer Earnest Jenkins, Jr., for his outstanding contributions to 1-3 the field of drug-abuse education and for his exceptional 1-4 commitment to the youth of our state; and 1-5 WHEREAS, A former gang member, Officer Jenkins overcame what 1-6 many would consider tremendous obstacles to become a leader in the 1-7 fight against drug abuse and gang violence; and 1-8 WHEREAS, At the age of 16, with the support of his family and 1-9 mentors, he mustered the courage and determination to end his 1-10 association with gangs and applied himself instead to academics and 1-11 athletics; he excelled in both areas, and by the time he graduated 1-12 from Cedar Hill High School he had made the all-district team in 1-13 football and had earned honors as a regional, state, and national 1-14 qualifier in power lifting; and 1-15 WHEREAS, Officer Jenkins furthered his studies at Tuskegee 1-16 University in Alabama until the tragic death of a friend led him to 1-17 pursue his calling as a law enforcement officer; he began his 1-18 distinguished career with the Cedar Hill Police Department in 1992 1-19 and worked for almost a year as a reserve officer before becoming a 1-20 full-time member of the force; and 1-21 WHEREAS, Since assuming the responsibilities of a Drug Abuse 1-22 Resistance Education (DARE) officer at the Sixth Grade Center in 1-23 1994, he has become a positive role model for numerous youths in 1-24 his community and has used his considerable influence and boundless 2-1 compassion to teach youngsters to resist the peer pressure that 2-2 often leads to involvement with gangs and drugs; and 2-3 WHEREAS, Officer Jenkins also has sought to impress on his 2-4 young charges the value of a good education and has encouraged them 2-5 to apply themselves to their studies; and 2-6 WHEREAS, In addition to his outstanding work in the area of 2-7 drug-abuse education, Officer Jenkins is an expert in matters of 2-8 family violence and child abuse and is a valued member of the 2-9 department's tactical team; and 2-10 WHEREAS, During his tenure with the Cedar Hill Police 2-11 Department, Officer Jenkins has served as an inspiration to his 2-12 colleagues and as a positive role model to the youth of his 2-13 community; the citizens of Cedar Hill have benefitted tremendously 2-14 from his distinguished service on the force and he is truly worthy 2-15 of special legislative recognition for his contributions to his 2-16 community; now, therefore, be it 2-17 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas 2-18 Legislature hereby commend Officer Earnest Jenkins, Jr., on his 2-19 outstanding contributions in the field of drug-abuse education and 2-20 for his exceptional commitment to the youth of our state; and, be 2-21 it further 2-22 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-23 prepared for Officer Jenkins as an expression of high regard by the 2-24 Texas House of Representatives.